Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Ever since the first time I saw photos of Mackinac Island, I
couldn’t wait to go there. It was one of
those places that would require a long drive and the timing never seemed right.
When I finally did commit to making the trip, there was nothing that was going
to stop me.

My friend Lisa and I left early in the morning and drove
through the day to make sure we would catch the last ferry in Michigan’s Lower
Peninsula from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island. It was a bit disappointing that
it was raining when we boarded the Arnold Transit ferry, but they had indoor
seating and it was a very short (less than a half hour) ride to the island.

Along the way we had a view of the Mackinac Bridge, which
connects Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City.

We were told that the “shuttle” would take us, as well as
our luggage, to our hotel. What we didn’t realize until we arrived was that
shuttle was synonymous with horse and buggy on this island!

We walked a bit in
town before we found the ride and enjoyed the scenery as we went up the hill to
the Mission Point Resort.

I made not of all the fudge stores and souvenir shops that
I would have to check out. I also saw the many bed & breakfasts and event
private houses that were along the water.

Bradley McCallum, the resort’s manager, greeted us in the
lobby. It was quite a large and rustic building and it made up only part of
this hotel. As a full service resort on
18 acres, it offers everything couples, families – and girls’ getaways – could want,
with golf, available bicycles, a pool, hot tubs, tennis, croquet, a movie theater
and a spa. There are also three restaurants to choose from.

We had an incredible three bedroom suite, one of about a
dozen different suites the hotel has available for those looking for a little
extra space. The view from our suite was even more magnificent than the suite
itself. Had it been a little warmer and drier, it might have been hard to pry
us away from the wrap around deck.

After the long drive we decided to keep it casual and headed
down to the Round Island Bar & Grill for dinner. It was a comfortable atmosphere, complete
with a fireplace and cozy booths.

It happened to be Mojito Monday at the Round Island and we
were happy to imbibe. It was served with
a whitefish dip with garlic and cream cheese, something popular on Mackinac Island.
I can’t eat fish, but Lisa loved it.

For the main course, I kept it simple with a pulled pork
sandwich, which was tender and sweet, while Lisa had the flatiron steak.

We had a few more drinks at the bar to unwind and chat with
some locals about the island. Before heading to our room we also stopped at the
Martini Bar. We didn’t stay long, but did enjoy some chocolate and martinis.

It had been a long day and we were looking forward to
spending the next day exploring Mackinac Island. I fell into my four poster bed
(turned down with chocolates on the pillows) and dreamed about the day to come
with my opportunity to finally check out this quaint island.

1 comment:

Mackinac Island looks amazing place. the pictures are so nice and also the food looks so delicious. Hope to be there soon. Last year i was in Florida and stayed in Ocean Palm Hotel St. Petersburg Florida. The trip was awesome and i enjoyed their yummy food too. Now i am going to plan a new trip this year and Mackinac Island is in my bucket list. :)Thanks for sharing your reviews!